HIGHLIGHTS 



Test shipments of Mcintosh apples in fiberboard containers by motortruck 

 from New England origins to Florida markets revealed that better loading 

 methods could appreciably reduce container and commodity damage and improve 

 refrigeration of the fruit during transit. 



This study involved 17 test loads in December 1957 from regular cold 

 storage, 13 test loads in February and March 1958 from regular cold storage, 

 and 8 test loads in April and May 1958 from controlled-atmosphere storage. 

 In the first 35 test loads the prevailing commercial shipping practices were 

 examined to determine the types and extent of the transit damage and to study 

 the loading and handling methods for any improvements that could be effected. 

 In the last three test loads from controlled-atmosphere storage, which were 

 experimental tests, a new and revised loading pattern was used to determine 

 whether it provides more adequate refrigeration of the commodity during 

 transportation. 



Observations of the test loads indicated that the apple boxes at the rear 

 of the trailers on the overhang behind the tandem axle were damaged more fre- 

 quently in transit than those in other locations. The two bottom layers of 

 the last two or three stacks in the loads tended to shift back toward the rear 

 of the trailer while the top layers of the same stacks shifted slightly for- 

 ward, compressing the boxes ahead and causing container damage from crushing, 

 squeezing, buckling, puncturing, or denting. The damage apparently was caused 

 by vertical impacts when the vehicles passed over rough places in the road or 

 by vibrations inherent in the vehicles during operation. This damage could 

 be prevented to a considerable extent by the use of adjustable gates in com- 

 bination with load-locking devices at the rear of the load. 



The use of too many boxes of different dimensions, even for boxes contain- 

 ing the same number of apples, also appeared to contribute to container damage, 

 The stacks of the loads where varying sizes of boxes were used were irregular 

 and the loads not as compact as they should have been. An appreciable part 

 of the container damage in the test loads obviously resulted from irregular 

 and crosswise movement of the containers in the trailers during transit where 

 there was a mixture of three or more different sizes of boxes. Loads of only 

 two sizes had less damage. 



Beginning with shipments of controlled-atmosphere apples in April 1958, 

 the cooperating shipper used one box of uniform dimensions for the 80-, 96-, 

 and 160-count apples and another of uniform dimensions for the 120- and 140- 

 count apples. Thus the number of box sizes required was reduced from five to 

 two. Uniformity of sizes of boxes helps to reduce container damage consider- 

 ably. For example, the two new types of boxes used in eight test shipments 

 during April and May 1958 had only 0.9 percent of container damage, compared 

 with 2.7 percent in 13 previous test loads which contained many sizes of boxes. 



The method of loading the apple boxes in the trailer is an important 

 factor in the proper refrigeration of the load, particularly with shipments 

 of controlled-atmosphere apples moving from Massachusetts and Maine to Florida 



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